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Overheard a veteran mechanic's tip for quieting squeaky belts
I was at the parts store picking up filters and heard an older mechanic talking to the clerk. He said to use a bar of plain soap on a squeaky serpentine belt. I tried it on my neighbor's truck that had a constant chirp. Just run the dry soap along the belt ribs with the engine off. The noise stopped immediately, which really surprised me. It's not a forever fix, but it works in a pinch. I love how these little tricks get passed around in our trade.
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jesse47mo ago
Wait, you used dry soap on the actual belt ribs? I always heard that would make the belt slip worse once it got hot. Doesn't the soap melt and make a greasy mess all over the pulley? That just sounds like asking for a different problem. I'm shocked it worked without causing more trouble.
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riley3637mo ago
Totally believe it worked as a quick fix. I used hand sanitizer on an old alternator belt once when I was stuck without tools, and it shut it right up for a few days. It's definitely not a real repair, but man it gets you home.
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laura_murphy6mo ago
Trust riley363 on this one... sometimes you just gotta get creative when you're stuck.
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